On Tuesday, Dec. 13, a string of tornadoes hit New Orleans and continued through the South East. The hardest hit cities were from Gretna, Louisiana to Arabi. In Louisiana, 45,000 system power outages were reported. This continued into Mississippi with 9,000 reports of system power outages. 

  The severe weather watch reported worse conditions than Hurricane Ida, which hit the city of Gretna last year. In northern Louisiana, a mother and son were found dead after their house was destroyed. In the same city of Keithville, over 20 were found injured. In Killona, a 56-year-old woman died after a tornado hit her home. Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser told Anderson Cooper, “This storm didn’t spare us at all. And it touched every part of the state.” 

  The total number of tornadoes reported has reached 18 throughout Mississippi and neighboring states. There were another 22 reported throughout the South. Nearly 3 million people were affected by this storm. These tornadoes stretched from Oklahoma to Louisiana. St. Charles Parish, Sheriff Greg Champagne gave information during a new conference, reporting, “There’s a piece of debris on the leaf behind you, that came from our firing range, 1.7 miles away.” He ended his statements with, “This one created quite a bit of devastation.” 

  Many businesses were also affected alongside homes. Louisiana State University and Southern University announced closures. The causeway bridge was also announced closed due to the storms. Louisiana Governor John Bel declared a state of Emergency on Wednesday with the statement, “This dangerous storm is still with us, Stay weather aware and heed the warnings of your local officials.” This storm affected many, but locals need to continue to be safe, as the hazardous weather hasn’t ended yet.